Cunningham gets gold with world-record throw

Alphanso Cunningham hit world-record form yesterday to capture Jamaica's first gold medal at the 2013 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France.

The 32-year-old Cunningham won the F52-54 javelin final with a throw of 24.30 metres to claim the country's second medal to date.

Cunningham placed the disappointment of finishing fourth in the men's discus final behind him to break the previous javelin world record three times on his way to gold. He established a new record, first with a throw of 22.13m, then with 22.71m and finally with 24.30m.

Iran's Abdolreza Jokar captured the silver medal with a 21.28m throw while the bronze medal went to Georgios Karaminas of Greece who managed a season best (SB) 15.54m.

Cunningham had won gold at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in the F53 discus throw and gold in the F52/53 javelin at the London 2012 Paralympics.

FIRST GOLD

Fifty-year-old Sylvia Grant had won the country's first medal on Wednesday when she took silver in the women's F57-58 javelin.

Jamaica's other two representatives in action yesterday failed in their quest to increase the country's medal tally after David Bascoe finished fourth in the T46 400m with a personal-best clocking of 51.32 seconds.

The gold medal was won by Austria's Gunther Matzinger in a season-best 49.45 seconds.

Shane Hudson reported late to the call room for the men's T46/47 400m and was therefore not allowed to take his place in the final.